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Miranda & Serena
On another website someone was asking if there was a good reason these names are not popular or is it just choice that they are not often used (UK). What do you think of Miranda and Serena? I’ll add my opinion later.Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from

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I also like both.
I like them both
I like both. They seem popular in the US. For some reason I thought Miranda was popular in the UK too. Looking at the charts, Miranda peaked and then plummeted in both countries so it's objectively dated, but I don't think it sounds dated. And Serena is maybe a little dated or just was never super popular. Both Miranda and Serena have a romantic side to them, but also work as 'blend in with the crowd' names. They're 'normal person names' but with a touch of whimsy, I guess? Similar to names like Cassandra and Alexandra-- they definitely have a certain aesthetic that makes them different from names like Megan, Emily, Jenny, Kate, Alexis, etc. but they still read as 'normal names' and they're not obviously frilly/fantastical/princessy like Anastasia, Cordelia, Seraphina, etc.ETA: I've met some Serenas and one Serina. As for Mirandas, I know one who goes by Mira and every other one I've met goes by the full Miranda.

This message was edited 5/20/2024, 3:18 PM

They're both lovely names! I have no idea why they aren't more popular. People just have weird taste.
I like both Miranda and Serena. Mira would be a wonderful nickname for Miranda and Seri, Rena or Ena for Serena.The only Serena I know is the African American tennis player. Miranda is a character in The Sex & The City on TV and films, the name of a British sitcom, an Australian model and a couple of actresses. I don't know if any of these associations have any influence on why they're not popular in the UK. For example, Jessica is in the top 100 so why is that name still popular when it's kind of "dated" in other English speaking countries? Sometimes, popularity is difficult to figure out.
I knew a Serena at school and a Miranda at uni. Probably not frequent in South Africa either, therefore! Which is odd, because Afrikaans South Africans in particular are perfectly accustomed to names ending in -a: Anna and Maria obviously, and also fem forms of male names, like Johanna, Wilhelmina, Jakoba ... so they would fit in there as well as with English speakers. Except they don't! Serena is lovely, but a bit risky: it would be sad if she turned out to be hyperactive. I suspect that, as Amanda becomes Mandy, so Miranda becomes Randy which is enough to put anyone off. The Miranda I knew, who became an opera singer, was known as Mandy. I far prefer Miranda to Amanda, but I'd only consider it as a mn, just in case.